Gladys Portugues

Gladys Portugues
Born
Gladys Portugues

(1957-09-30) September 30, 1957 (age 67)
Manhattan, New York, U.S
Occupations
Years active1980–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 1992)​
​
​
(m. 1999)​
Children3

Gladys Portugues (born September 30, 1957) is an American former professional female bodybuilder and actress. As a bodybuilder, she twice placed in the top 10 in the Ms. Olympia contest. She is married to Belgian actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Personal life

Born of Puerto Rican parents, Portugues has said that she was inspired to start her own bodybuilding and weight training regimen while attending Marymount Manhattan College, when she saw Rachel McLish on television winning the Ms. Olympia title.[citation needed]

In 1987, at the age of thirty, Portugues married Belgian martial artist and actor Jean-Claude van Varenberg.[1] The couple divorced in 1992, then remarried in 1999. They have two children: Kristopher van Varenberg (b. 1987) and Bianca Brigitte (b. 1990).[2] Her husband is professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Pumping Iron II: The Women Herself Cinecom International Films
1986 The Morning After Bodybuilder 20th Century Fox
1987 It's Alive III: Island of the Alive Waitress Larco Productions Inc.

TV

Year Title Episodes Role
2011 Behind Closed Doors 1 season (8 episodes) Herself

Books

  • Hard Bodies Express, Portugues, Dell; Reissue 1988, ISBN 0-440-53426-7
  • Hard Bodies, Portugues and Vedral, Dell; Reissue edition 1986, ISBN 0-440-53424-0

References

  1. ^ "Top 10 Most Beautiful Female Bodybuilders in 2022". Sports Virsa. January 3, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. ^ Friedman, Roger (May 14, 2010). "Cannes film festival 2010: Jean-Claude van Damme plans to appear in reality TV show for A&E". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011.